Pascal's Wager
If atheists are right, then nothing happens. No consequences. No damnation. We don't miss anything. We never even know we're gone. Life is futile. In just a hundred years, we won't even matter. But if the Christians are right ... That's Pascal's "wager." It's ridiculed on the internet today by people who didn't understand it. All other things being equal, the theist wagers a small portion of their life, and loses very little if there is no God. The atheist, however, wagers nothing and loses everything. Blaise Pascal's point was that the odds favor the theist. Pascal was right. 'The Wager's Point' The "wager" appears in notes that Pascal made for a book he planned to write, but he died in the process. They're available for free, on the internet. Look for "Pensees." Pascal was a brilliant mathematician. He is responsible for much of probability theory that we rely on today. Pascal was making a point about the odds, not trying to convince someone to believe the way that he did. Pascal's point was to compare the risks versus the rewards of atheism vs. Christianity. The atheist loses nothing in this life by not believing in God, Pascal said, but only stands to lose if in the afterlife if God exists. No risk, potential loss. The Christian however, loses a little in this life in time spent in church, Bible study, etc., but stands to gain a great deal if God exists. Little risk, potential gain. Pascal's point was that the atheist cannot possibly gain; the Christian can. Many people say "Which God are we talking about?" That's a ridiculous response. Pascal's probability is unaffected if there are 10 billion possible gods. The atheist still risks nothing and can only lose, if any God exists. Pascal never advocated believing in God because of the odds. As a devout Christian, he understood belief wasn't a matter of odds, it was a matter of trust. He never said that this was reason enough to believe in God. Pascal was a lot smarter than the typical internet atheist that ridicules him today. 'If Christianity is Wrong' *If Hinduism is right, it won't make a difference. *If Scientology is right, it won't make much of a difference. *If Mormonism is right, it won't make much of a difference. *If Jehovah's Witnesses are right, it won't make much of a difference. *If Islam is right, it'll make a pretty big difference. If Christianity is right, it will make a huge difference for all those people. 'Other Religions and the Wager' The wager is about odds, about risk versus reward. It's rather easy to eliminate the possibility of Odin or Thor or Aphrodite being the creator of the universe, and so it's pointless to wager on them. When you play roulette, do you ever want to bet on 37? There's a reason there's no spot on the board for that bet: it's not on the wheel. Odin and Thor and Aphrodite aren't on the wheel. 'Related Topics' *Atheism *Calvinism *Christianity *Truth Category:Dr. Bobisms